NOW PLAYING! May 18, 2019 — Josh Centers and Peter Cohen

This week we feature commentator Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of “Take Control of Apple TV” and other titles. This week Gene and Josh talk about the recent surprising U.S. Supreme Court ruling, in which an antitrust trial against the App Store was allowed to proceed. How would an unfavorable verdict impact Apple and the way it manages its online stores? Will there be lower prices, perhaps support for third-party app repositories? Josh also talks about the nasty experiences he faced when he attempted to convert his Spotify account to a family plan. There is also talk about the problems Netflix may be facing after losing content from Disney and perhaps other services as they plan to introduce their own streaming networks.

Wee also feature utspoken tech commentator Peter Cohen. In this segment, Peter has lots to say about what might happen as the result of the antitrust lawsuit against the App Store. There’s also a lengthy discussion about what appears to be Intel’s failure to update its CPUs in a timely fashion with reduced die sizes to allow for greater power efficiencies. Has the time arrived for Apple to finally ditch Intel and install its own A-series processors on Macs? Is there any possibility that the next Mac Pro, expected later this year, might be the very first model to go that route? Peter also discusses the recent Apple media event where Apple TV+, News+ and the Apple Arcade gaming service were introduced.

May 11, 2019 — John Martellaro and Peter Cohen

This week, we present a very special encore episode featuring outspoken columnist John Martellaro, Senior Editor, Analysis & Reviews for The Mac Observer. His bill of fare this week includes Apple’s March media event and its implications going forward. Were there really two few details. John also explains why suggestions that Apple buy Netflix are not viable, why things aren’t what they appear to be with Apple, Apple’s privacy ad and how it showcases the company’s philosophy compared to the likes of Facebook and Google, and whether the monolithic iTunes app for Macs and PCs may soon be broken up into more digestible and easier-to-use single-purpose apps. Some people can hardly wait.

In a very special encore segment, we cover Apple’s “Show Time” media event that was held on March 25, 2019, where the wraps were taken off plans for Apple TV+, yet another video streaming service that will offer a collection of original TV shows and movies premiering in the fall. Such notables as J.J. Abrams, Steven Spielberg and even Oprah Winfrey are involved in the production of this content, but details beyond the basic “up-front” presentation and previews have yet to be announced. Apple also announced Apple News+, a subscription service featuring material culled from both magazines and newspapers, a major enhancement to the free app. In addition, Apple Arcade will offer original games, also by subscription. Here to talk about the goings on is outspoken tech commentator Peter Cohen.

May 4, 2019 — Josh Centers and Andrew Orr

This week we we feature a very special encore segment with commentator Josh Centers, Managing Editor for TidBITS, and author of “Take Control of Apple TV” and other titles. Gene and Josh talk about Apple’s foray into TV streaming, and its “up-front” presentation of shows and stars during a March 25, 2019 media event. With few details to go by, just how will Apple’s streaming service fare against the likes of Amazon Prime and Netflix, not to mention CBS All Access and the forthcoming service from Disney? Have we reached the point of streaming overload yet? There will also be discussions about Apple’s recent product intros that included new iPads, an iMac refresh, and the second-generation AirPods. Josh will also discuss Verizon’s plan to offer free call filtering to block telemarketing calls. This is similar to a service already provided by AT&T and T-Mobile.

You’ll also hear the very latest interview with tech reporter Andrew Orr from the The Mac Observer. On this episode, Andrew will talk with Gene about Apple’s recent financials which, despite lower revenue than last year, came in at the high end of the company’s guidance. And what about contrary claims about actual iPhone unit sales, since Apple no longer provides such information? You’ll also hear about the possibilities for an Apple Glasses product, where, if it is produced, might deliver a simple way to check for glaucoma and other eye ailments. There will also be discussions about a curious story reporting that an AirPod that still worked after being swallowed by a user, the launch of a Beats alternative to AirPods, the PowerBeats Pro, and other topics related to our favorite “fruit company.”

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